


Voltorn

by PuzzleBot



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (or do they), Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Langst, Post-Series, at least for now, basically the voltron team disband, maybe anyway idk, read on to find out, there might be klance in the future but i doubt it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:17:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzzleBot/pseuds/PuzzleBot
Summary: Years after it ends, it starts again.





	1. The Departure of the Sharpshooter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sharpshooter heads home

When it was all over, Lance was the first to leave. He loved Voltron, he loved his friends, and he loved trying to save the universe from a threat that had him facing the inevitability of his death on pretty much a weekly basis. But he also loved his family. He loved pizza - miles better than food goo, for sure. He loved the burning sand under his feet. He loved the sunset settling on the horizon, igniting the sea into a blaze of beauty, something you could only ever truly experience on Earth. He missed home, and he was sure that home missed him, too. Whenever he thought of his family, he had a pang in his chest - they probably thought he was dead...  
  
Hunk had argued against him leaving the most - not a surprise to anyone that knew them - but that argument was backed up almost angrily by Keith.  
  
"Lance, you're not leaving." He said when he caught Lance preparing to stow his things in the Blue Lion. Lance blinked in surprise when he looked up to see Keith effectively blocking any entrance into his lion.  
  
"Uh... Keith, buddy... I kinda have to..." He responded quietly, making no attempt to push past the other teenager. He sat down on his lion's back and looked intently at the stitching of his duffle bag. Keith reluctantly joined him, glaring at his shoes like they'd offended him. Neither one was happy with the situation.  
  
"Why...? I thought you liked being a part of Voltron. It's not like you went through all of this for fun." Keith muttered. It was still hard for him to verbalise his thoughts and feelings, even after over a year of learning to accept them. He still struggled with verbalising them, and he'd found that getting more and more in the way, as of late. His friends knew he cared about them, that much was implicit in how he acted, the way he let himself smile and laugh freely around them. He'd grown, but not yet enough to tell them how he felt about each one of them, not properly.  
  
The quiet voice of Lance's explanation faded back to Keith's mind, now, and he raised his head, trying to pay attention rather than lock himself into a spiral of his own self-reflection.  
  
"... miss me. I miss them, too... I mean I do love you guys...! You're all my very best friends, and I don't know what my life would have been like if I hadn't followed your stupid mullet to ol' Bluey here, but my family are... Well, my family... I haven't seen them in over a year, Keith...! I'm homesick, and now it's all over, can't I go home...? Don't you ever want to...?"  
  
The two met eyes, Lance smiling sadly and Keith returning it with a half-hearted scowl. The silence hung, until Keith found himself talking, his words unchecked by his mouth.  
  
"Being homesick sounds like it sucks. Kinda wish I had a home to be sick for, though." He found himself saying, "I guess this," A pause to gesture at the castle all around him, "Was the closest I've found."  
  
So... That was how to express emotions. Oh.  
  
Lance stared at Keith, stunned at the words, then, too sudden for the other teen to comprehend it, pulled him into a hug. A muffled groan of protest preceded Lance shaking his head and squeezing harder.  
  
"Keith... I'm sorry, man, I didn't... Didn't think..." He said, his voice brimming with emotion, "I should've-"  
  
"Lance. Why are you apologising for having a family? Look, uh... Just go. You're right. It's all over now, so you should go home... See your family," He responded, half heartedly pushing the warm lump off of him and seeing Lance pout at him. He manages a smile - he was fine, see?  
  
"Well, now I know you're upset. You don't ever smile like that unless you're upset. Look, uh... What if you come with me? We've always got spare rooms at home, and everyone would love you...!" He put a hand on Keith's shoulder, stopping himself from hugging him again. It was spur of the moment, something he never would have suggested when they first set out on this adventure with the rest of the Paladins, but something that seemed obvious now. If Keith saw the group as something of a family, then that included him, and family did for each other - that was practically his mum's motto.  
  
"Come... With you?" Keith was uncomprehending.  
  
"Yeah! It's better than going back to your desert shack, right?"  
  
"Lance... Don't you understand? I'm staying here. I’m not abandoning the rest of this group… But I don’t blame you for leaving… It’s… Kinda selfish for me - and the rest - to force you to stay."  
  
The conversation ended, and followed Keith out the door to the hangar, but it lingered in both of their minds for the rest of the day.

Dinner that day started off riotous - Hunk had made all of Lance’s favourite foods (or at least, close approximations that tasted much better), Pidge had hooked up the speakers to play the music they had saved on their laptop (mostly electronic music that Allura made a point of protesting against), and the rest of the Paladins filled every moment with laughter and memories. Then, when it drew to dessert, they fell quiet. There was the occasional comment, a joke thrown around to make people chuckle, but the ringleader of the jokes, Lance, had fallen quiet. He was thinking, hard and long, and trying to preserve the smiles on his friends’ faces as best he could. He was certain this wasn’t _the_ end - he could always find them again with the Blue Lion by his side - but it felt like _an_ end. There was no use for Voltron any more, so this was going to happen eventually, he reasoned. It was going to be alright.

“Lance? Everything is ready.” Allura’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts as she beamed over at him. Still beautiful, that was for certain, still another amazing friend. Lance smiled back, then stood up. He had to leave eventually, and that sounded like his cue.

It was hard to say goodbye to Pidge, who had started to feel like a sibling to him more than anything a comrade, or a friend. He hugged them tight and then ruffled their hair, despite loud, indignant protests.

  
“I’ll miss ya, Lance.” They eventually said, high-fiving him for the last time for the foreseeable future. They shared a fond smile, then Pidge turned away, hiding the slight wateriness of their eyes.

It was harder still to say goodbye to Hunk.

“Tell my mum I love her when you get home, won’t you, pal? Tell her I’ll see her soon, just… Got some things to clear up.” He requested as he crushed Lance in a loving hug. Lance nodded silently, not trusting his voice not to crack during his response. He’d sort of taken it for granted that Hunk would come home with him, so hearing him say he was staying for a while longer had been a shock to the system. They’d not been apart for more than a couple of days since this whole adventure began, and even before then, they’d been the closest of friends. It was strange to think he’d be back to his own cooking when he got home. Well, once he ran out of the leftovers Hunk had insisted he took.

It felt like time started to speed up as he said goodbye to Shiro, Allura, an openly sniffling Coran, and finally Keith.

“... The offer’s still open.” He said quietly, shaking Keith’s hand firmly.

“And my answer’s still no. Fly safe, Lance.” Keith responded, smiling warmly and briefly hugging him before stepping back.  
  
Seeing all his friends standing there, despondent but proud to see him leave, Lance had one last second thought. But then he remembered his family, his family at home. He had to get back to them now.

“Well, uh… This is it then... “ Lance said haltingly, feeling Blue rumbling with anticipation behind him, “I’ll see you guys again, I promise. And you all know where to find me.”

With that, he stepped back, and settled into his lion, taking a last look at the family he was leaving. Allura was in place, ready to create a wormhole for him, but her hands looked shaky - she was sad too, despite how strong she seemed to be acting. The rest of the group waved up at him, smiles and tears both adorning their faces in various ratios.

Then, three, two, one… Wormhole.

Lance and Blue slipped out the airlock and through the wormhole at high speed, but then everything slowed.

Beneath them was Earth.

Lance could see a bright blue ocean, and familiar landmasses that he hadn’t seen in much too long. He could see trees, and sand, and vivid colours that space could never perfectly recreated. He wasn’t ashamed to say he was crying as he broke the atmosphere and frantically searched for home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> This is gonna be a Thing but I haven't figured out what yet. I suggest you read on ;)
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome - this is the first time I've written for Voltron, and I want to work out how to write the characters!


	2. Still Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second of the Paladins starts to make their own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soRRY I DISAPPEARED  
> I went to France for an exchange and then died of exhaustion for a week or so.

Next to board their lion, only a few weeks on from Lance’s departure, was Pidge. It wasn’t that they couldn’t stand the silence at the breakfast table for the first few days, or the lack of brotherly teasing, the concerned way that Allura rested her hand on their shoulder, saying, “He’s alright, Pidge; don’t worry,”, but it did… It brought back memories. It made Pidge remember the brother they’d given up on, after bringing down the entire Galra Empire alongside the other Paladins and not finding another trace of him.

“I  _ have _ to find Matt.” They insisted, on a daily basis, but something would always end up holding them back another day. Usually it was Hunk, with protests that Pidge found impossible to refuse, but everyone wanted them to stay. Coran got them into impossible projects, Allura tried to teach them about parts of the ship they didn’t know existed, and Shiro offered as much comfort as possible. Even Keith acted much more warmly than usual, as if trying to fill the gap Lance had left. But, it wasn’t enough.

“I have to find Matt.” They insisted again, and this time it was final. There was no request in their voice, just a simple statement that would not hear a word against itself. It hung in the air like the smell of one of Hunk’s cooking experiments gone wrong, and everyone came to terms with it as Pidge threw a bag into their lion; they were losing another of their team.

“What if we searched together, Number 5? I’m sure that would maximise our chances of finding your brother!” Coran suggested, but his voice lacked its usual verve; he knew what their answer would be.

“We’ve been doing that, though, whenever we get a second to breathe, and we haven’t found him…! Now and then we get some footage, but that’s not what I’m looking for! I  _ miss  _ him, and there’s still a chance he’s out there…” Pidge said, an air of finality in their voice. They looked away from the group, rubbing their eyes - red from exhaustion and restrained tears. Coran stepped up to the youngest Paladin, putting one hand gently on their shoulder and nodding.

“Pidge, listen to me,” Allura was the next to speak. She stepped up beside them, and then looked down - all the sternness and care of a mother in her crystal eyes.

Pidge looked up, already shaking their head defiantly, “I’m not staying, no matter what you try to s-”

“And I won’t force you to,” cut across Allura, shaking her head, “I just want you to be safe. If anything goes wrong, if you get lonely… ‘If’ anything… You can come back. But you’re not leaving tonight. The least we can do is send you off properly.”

So Pidge allowed one more day in the presence of their friends. The mood was somber, of course, but with an almost eerie air of determination settling on top of it like fog. They were restless all day, like a cat in the way they paced back and forth, stopping only when someone told them they needed to eat  _ something. _

It was Shiro that came to talk . Of course it was Shiro. He was always quiet when Pidge mentioned leaving, and yesterday had been no different, but now it was happening for real. He  _ could _ believe it, but at the same time he didn’t want to.

“Pidge, can we talk for a moment?” he said quietly, from the other side of the door, “Or at least let me in, hm? We can sit in silence if you insist.”

The door slid open, showing Pidge sat on their plain bed, all decorations having vanished from their room. The only way Shiro could tell it was Pidge’s was by the scorch marks on one of the walls, from when an experiment had gone wrong. He remembered when that had happened, how Pidge had been covered in some Altean version of fire extinguisher foam that had made them smell vaguely of lemons for the next few days, no matter how hard they’d washed, and how the very same foam had made their hair stick more on end than usual.

“Come in, Shiro,” Pidge’s voice - slightly amused - broke through the memories and brought Shiro back to the present, and the truth he had to face. He blinked, then stepped into the room properly, sitting next to his friend on the bed. They shared a look, a small smile, and then a silence.

“So, Pidge… I, uh… Just wanted to talk to you…? About leaving. I won’t try to convince you to stay, but I want you to be prepared. Matt means a lot to me, and if I know one thing, it’s that he wouldn’t want his - his sibling hurting themselves looking for him. What’s… What’s your plan?”

Pidge smiled wryly and stretched out on the bed, almost shrugging slightly before they responded, “Track Matt down. I’ve got all the footage we found, so from there I can follow the data trail, word of mouth… Better than nothing.”

“So… Your plan is to run around like a headless chicken?”

“Not exactly,” Pidge shook their head, “Matt’s free, too. If we’re both looking for each other, then we’ll eventually meet… Look, I’ll be fine. And as soon as I find him, I’ll make sure you and he meet again. Promise.”

Shiro hummed thoughtfully, then stretched out to lay next to them. He had to admit, he had no better plan. With Pidge’s tech prowess, they probably had a better chance doing what they did instead of anything he’d come up with. He was just looking for reasons at this point… As much as he cared about Matt, he cared just as much for Pidge, and if anything went wrong, he’d blame himself forever.

“Trust me,” Pidge said, as if they could tell what he was thinking, “And I’ll come back in one piece.”

  
So Shiro trusted them, and when Pidge flew out into the bright darkness of space the next day, he trusted them to come back. His trust, and his patience, would one day be rewarded - he was certain of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [insert that one America's Next Top Model graphic where the model that's eliminated fades away here]  
> \--  
> Seriously, though, I'll try and update sooner this time. Who d'you think's leaving next?


	3. The Sunshine Dulls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coran and Hunk have a Talk.

Hunk held out longer than his counterparts from the Garrison, but he could only bake out his feelings for so long. Since Lance and Pidge had left, he hadn’t been able to ignore the gaping hole they left. It wasn’t that the others weren’t fun - they were - but there had been a different dynamic for them three. The three that had made jokes and messed around, even before they got shot into space in a giant blue lion, had gone their own ways.   
  
Hunk had cried, of course. His heart hadn’t been hardened by the war he’d been so unceremoniously thrust into. If anything, it had made him grow kinder. Seeing the suffering that had plagued so many places, so many  _ planets _ , had shaken him at first, but now the immediate threat was over, he was starting to wonder. Maybe he could help them regrow, and put smiles on the faces of those who needed it. And if he did that, maybe - totally coincidentally, of course - he’d end up on the Balmera again, and bump into Shay. She  _ did _ want to see the world, after all… It was a daydream he’d started to entertain - him and Shay travelling the galaxy in the Yellow Lion, helping rebuild where they could, and finding new ingredients to cook with every time they stopped… It sounded lovely…

Then again, his conscience unhelpfully reminded him as he made cookies and mulled over the idea for the fifth time that week, what about Keith? What about Shiro? What about Allura, and Coran? They would all insist they’d be fine, but if they had emotions anything as close to how Hunk felt, then losing another member would hurt them even further. He hummed frustratedly to himself as he threw the dough onto the counter. It had always been his flaw, not being able to know when to put himself first.

“Hunk! Noogler eating at your brain there?” Coran’s voice called from across the Castle’s kitchen. Hunk looked up, blinking away a tear he hadn’t realised had come to his eye.

“H-Huh? No, I’m… I’m fine, Coran,” He quickly denied, focusing on rolling out the dough, “Just, uh, trying to get this dough to work with me. Used a new kind of flour in it...”

Coran raised an eyebrow, leaning on the only clear space of the counter and glancing at the Paladin. Hunk looked back, but couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact. He already knew he wanted to leave, it was obvious. He didn’t want to make it any easier for Coran to be hurt by the thought.

Heavy sarcasm, mixed with gentle concern, lilted his voice as the older man spoke,  “That’s approximately the tenth batch of cookies you’ve made in the last two days. I’m beginning to think this is more than a human tradition Allura and I haven’t picked up on yet.”

Hunk forced a chuckle. He kept his eyes focused on the dough, rolling, turning, rolling, flipping, rolling…

“Hunk, you do  _ know _ you can talk to me, don’t you? I’m not a Royal  _ Advisor  _ for nothing, you know,” He continued upon realising that Hunk was far from in the mood to discuss his own thoughts, “And I do pride myself of personal advice, too! You should have seen me in the old days - King Alfor and I were a team to be reckoned with when it came to helping Allura with relationship issues.”

“Coran, this isn’t a relationship issue… You know what’s up, why aren’t you getting to the point?” Hunk sighed, still looking at the dough. Roll, turn, roll, flip, roll, turn…

“Because, young Paladin, it  _ is _ a relationship problem. It’s your relationship with Shiro and Keith, and Allura and I, that’s keeping you here, is it not? And - if I may be so bold - your relationship with a one Miss  _ Shay _ that’s making you want to wander.”

Hunk paused, his rhythm broken by Coran’s painfully accurate assessment of the situation. He smiled, then shrugged, then nodded.

Coran continued with a knowing smile, “Take it from one who didn’t do it, and paid the price, Hunk, follow the one that’s pulling you. Think about it logically - there’s four of us here, and yet the pull from one is still hard to resist.”   
  
“N-No, I care about you guys just as much…!” Hunk protested, barely even able to defend himself from the comment about ‘young love’ too, but Coran chuckled the denial away.

“Young love, it’s a pull that you have to give into eventually. Of course we’ll miss you, but it would merely be a farewell, not a goodbye forever. And if you  _ aren’t  _ in contact, I feel like you’ll have a certain  _ other  _ paladin to answer to.” With that, Coran nodded to the dough that Hunk had given up on rolling, “I think that’s about ready to go in the oven. Now, let us know when you’re ready to leave - we’ll be glad to help you off.”

So Hunk finished the cookies - possibly the best batch he’d made yet - and treated the remaining team to a wonderful meal that would leave enough leftovers to tide them over for a long whilst. They all knew what was coming, and when Hunk finally verbalised it, even Keith found himself overwhelmingly  _ proud _ of his friend. He was sad to see him go, but the anger he’d felt at Lance’s departure and the numbness that he’d found himself plunged into when Pidge left… Those feelings had abated. If Hunk wanted to leave, so be it. He was brave enough to survive without the rest of the team, and Keith couldn’t help but think that this was the best thing for him - to settle down and rest his anxiety-ridden nerves. He’d miss the guy’s cooking though - that was for sure - not to mention his relentless optimism and pragmatism. It got tiring, sure, but after a long day, it was always nice to hear a happy outlook on things.

  
It was only when Yellow prepared to bound off through space and carry Hunk to a softer adventure that Keith allowed himself a moment of reflection. Who would it be next? Maybe it was him. Maybe it was Shiro. Hell, at this rate, even Coran could end up relinquishing his life on the Castle for one of space piracy or something. But… That was then; now was for waving goodbye, and enshrining the grin that had become a cornerstone of daily life in his memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOI look at that for a somewhat fast update.
> 
> So, who leaves next, who stays? What did you think of this chapter, and what do you think will happen next?


End file.
